Concert Photography Tips - No. 1 - Why Be A Concert Photographer?

We take photos at concerts. Lots of concerts. Lots of photos. In doing so, we’ve learned much about how to, and how not to take a good concert photograph.  We now attempt to impart this knowledge to our readers and aspiring concert photographers in a creatively-named series of features entitled “Concert Photography Tips.”

Our voyage begins with a fundamental question: why be a concert photographer?

Why be a concert photographer? To be honest, I’d have to question why you wouldn’t want to be a concert photographer.

Scratch that. I know why you wouldn’t want to be a concert photographer. For one thing, you have to deal with attitudes like this. On top of that there are the times when you drive an hour for a show and there’s no photo pass waiting for you at the box office. Oh and let us not forget: taking elbows to pretty much every part of your body while you jockey for position to grab a quality shot, catching attitude from concert-goers and club staff and even occasionally getting berated by the bands themselves.

It’s certainly a lot less glamorous than most seem to think. But you know what? To me it’s worth it.

Music and art are two things that drive my life creatively and in every other manner. Being able to combine the two is, for me, like winning the lottery twice in the same day. I get to see as many shows as I can handle (being a self-employed father of two), hang out in places I’ve come to know very well and consider a second home (music clubs and large concert venues), meet and talk to people I have a lot of respect for (people who make a living doing what drives them artistically), listen to fantastic music (most of the time) and make art. My art.

If that last paragraph invigorates you enough to put up with the stuff in the second paragraph, I look forward to seeing you in the pit.

Why concert photography?

When I was a little kid rapping out Beastie Boys songs in the mirror and doing fist shakes to Pantera records, I always dreamed of having some sort of “in” that would get me into all of the shows I wanted to see, but couldn’t afford. Concert photography became that golden ticket.  Now I feel like a kid in a candy store because I basically get to see a bunch of bands that I love (for free!), all while living out a creative expression of my own.

It’s thrilling to be that close to someone pouring themselves out for complete strangers. It’s a mystical thing to watch, let alone capture with a camera. And with a pass, you get to become a moment catcher, that ensnarer of expression that gets to document exciting moments for others to relive and remember. This act of transmission, of giving back to the music community, is something that continues to draw me to concert photography. It’s one thing to comment from the sidelines, it’s another to get in the game. Taking pictures allows you to do that and if you’re good enough, you’ll take something that moves people. I think that’s the goal, and since few get there, it’s a field that always feels challenging, which makes it even more rewarding. In the end whether you come for the shows, or the chance to snap candid after candid, it’s just a lot of fun, and the fun is what makes people want to do it for free.

You know how sometimes a concert is so good that you spend the weeks following it listening to the artist’s albums over and over and over again, re-living the show’s best moments through the records? Imagine having visuals to accompany those tunes – photos to sort through, stare at, play with, and get psyched about.  That’s why I am a concert photographer. Being a concert photographer gives you an excuse to revisit the best moments of the night, to find the frames that capture the energy you remember; then they give you the ability to communicate your experience to people who weren’t there.

Taking photos at shows has taught me to appreciate bands that don’t hide the drummer in the dark. To appreciate the lighting (and staff) at venues. To seek out new angles and learn new techniques. Concert photography forces me into the pit, rather than allowing me to hang out with a beer in the back. It gets me to shows I wouldn’t otherwise and introduces me to people I wouldn’t otherwise meet. And at four in the morning after an incredible show, when I find a stunning photo that does half justice translating live music into a lasting image, there’s really nothing better.

At first, taking photos simply meant getting in free to more shows than I could otherwise afford. This lasted a few months (don’t get me wrong, I still very much appreciate free admittance to concerts). Now, the primary draw of concert photography is two-fold:

1. I get to be a part of the wonderful, contagious energy that is live music. This will never grow old.
2. Communicating this energy to anyone I can, whether they were at the show last night, or have never heard of the band. Am I successful? Not sure. But I’ll keep trying.

As others have mentioned, there also exists a somewhat annoying side effect of spending so much time behind the camera at shows.  Namely, whenever I am at a concert and my camera is at home, my mind reverts to photo mode: lighting is noted, settings are calculated, ideal angles are spotted, key moments are framed, etc. Still, a small price to pay for the benefits above.

So many things can distract you during a show: the amorous couple elbowing you, the lure of the bar, the bros shouting “Free Bird” between songs. What I love most about concert photography is that I force myself to completely focus on the performance--and not just the mesmerizing lead singer, but the whole action on stage.

Shooting a band particularly helps me focus when the stage is full of activity. Two of my favorite shows I’ve shot were Freelance Whales and of Montreal. For Freelance Whales, the band employed banjos, xylophones, watering cans and other quirky instruments to fill the stage with their lighthearted, ceaselessly joyful music. But what really stood out to me, were the Whales’ beaming faces. These musicians were just so freakin’ adorable, I was determined to capture those contagious smiles on film. When I look back at this photo, I instantly recall that overwhelming joy.

For of Montreal, well, it’s of Montreal. I couldn’t blink without another insane, costumed creature taking the stage and grinding on Kevin Barnes. But even in that onslaught of visual stimulation, shooting the performers exposed me to some endearing moments. Throughout the show, opener Janelle Monae’s band interacted with of Montreal’s, culminating in a Michael Jackson medley that saw every performer dancing on stage and in the crowd. Seeing one of Janelle Monae’s dancers grab the hand of a leotard-clad of Montreal freak was one of my favorite, understated moments of the night.

On the other hand, this attention to detail has spoiled me for shows where I’m determined to go for fun and not photograph. To wit, during this past week’s the Walkmen show, I stood in the back, trying not to think about lighting and good shooting angles, but I couldn’t help myself. My scrutiny led me to text our photographer Liz this little gem: “What’s up with Hamilton’s zipper? We need crotch close-ups!”

Sometimes pretty girls with red hair talk to you because you have a camera.  Sometimes they don’t have red hair.  Sometimes guys talk to you, too, which is also cool.  Sometimes I don’t even have a memory card in my camera when I “shoot.”

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